


Silent Song

by Sparroet



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, M/M, barry is a mute siren, coldflash - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 12:26:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12012711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparroet/pseuds/Sparroet
Summary: Barry is hatched with no voice. For a siren, song is everything.teeny coldflash to help me warm up for bigger fics.





	Silent Song

**Author's Note:**

> hello its baby boy's first fic just a teeny idea i thought was cool.  
> I draw a lot of flash fanart so come visit me as sparroet on tumblr and make me some requests

Barry is hatched with no voice. Nora insists he’ll sing when he’s ready, Henry stays quiet, but his eyes betray his worry. 

He never does learn to sing, let alone speak.

\--- 

Barry huffs contentedly. He’s been granted a rare day to himself, away from the smothering of his school. He loves them, of course he does, but he isn’t helpless just because he can’t sing. Sometimes he likes to sun himself, listen to the roll of the waves and watch the humans from a distance (he would love to walk right up to them, but Iris might just throttle him). His gills flutter a bit under the spray, and he doesn’t bother trying to cover them. No humans have been around this morning.

Almost as soon as he’s finally settled in enough to close his eyes, he hears a shriek from a few feet away, “Is he  _ naked _ ?”

Barry turns so fast his knees catch on a crag in the rock and he stumbles, faceplanting hard on the stones. He hears the humans - and they must be humans - running towards him, and he  _ knows  _ he hasn’t had time to hide his gills, or shift his skin tone towards something a little less blue-

“Jeez, kid, you okay?”

“Uh, Lenny, I wouldn’t touch him if I were you,” A woman’s voice brings Barry’s eyes up nervously, his breath catching in his throat because she  _ knows _ and he isn’t even trying to hide anything right now because his head is reeling and he’s torn up his knees and dammit she  _ knows- _

“What are you?” Barry finds himself looking into baby blue eyes, set in a fine, almost delicate face, and hair of a texture Barry knows would curl crazily if it wasn’t closely shaven, a dramatic widow’s peak in the center. The man isn’t scared, just curious, reaching a hand out tentatively, “You okay? I didn’t mean to scare you.”

So  _ he _ doesn’t know, and Barry’s gills flutter nervously because he can’t answer and this man will think he’s a brainless animal and he’ll lose this rare opportunity to play with a human and do what he’s  _ meant  _ to do and-

“Lenny! Don’t touch him, he’s a siren!” The woman has gripped the man’s (Lenny?) shoulder, pulling his arm back, and a realization crosses his face. He pulls back very suddenly.

“I just thought-I didn’t  _ hear _ him first-”

“Lenny,” She’s whispering, brown eyes nervously flitting from Lenny to Barry, “He didn’t know we were here. Let’s go while we still can.”

Lenny gives him a strange look, almost sad, before drawing back up to stand. Barry should just go, should forget it and avoid getting yelled at by Iris but he doesn’t want them to go. He holds up his hands in plain view, and shakes his head. The woman pauses, and both humans look incredibly, incredibly confused, if not a little scared.

Barry lifts his head, brushing his fingers against his throat in a mock grip, and shakes his head again. The humans are quiet, the confusion growing, so Barry opens his mouth wide, pointing emphatically down his throat, then letting out a tiny croak, the most sound he can muster. The woman’s brow furrows, but Lenny’s face lights up, “You can’t sing, can you?”

Barry shakes his head, and the woman visibly relaxes. Barry tries to give them a small, nervous smile, then flattens his gills, and focuses on changing his pale blue to a fleshier color. The woman watches in utter fascination, but the man sits down with a smile, “He doesn’t seem too bad, Lise.”

Lise’s nose wrinkles, “You don’t know what he wants!”

Barry holds his hands up again, shaking his head. He looks around for a bit and there- finds a patch of dirt soft enough for him to write in. He unsheathes a claw, noticing with guilt how they flinch, but he draws, leaning back when he’s done to give them a good view.

“Barry?” Lenny gives a slight smile, “Your name?”

Barry smiles wide and nods vigorously.

“Len,” Lise hisses, “You don’t know-”

Lenny halts her with a look, “He can’t sing, he can’t hurt us. Tell me you aren’t the least bit curious?”

He turns back to Barry, “You understand me though, right?”

Barry nods.

“I’m Len, and she’s Lisa.”

Lisa’s snarl returns, “Any reason you’re naked on the beach?”

Barry flushes immediately, suddenly aware that humans wear things over their bodies, especially their lower halves, and he shifts his hips awkwardly. He nods to the ocean, not making eye contact.

Len laughs, and it’s a deep, warm sound, “Sis, he lives in the ocean.”

Lisa scowls, but she finally sits, awkwardly, to the left of Len. Barry gives her his best smile, and tilts his head in what he hopes is a friendly manner.

“What do you want?” She’s direct, and doesn’t bother hiding the menace.

Barry frowns, trying to think of the best way to answer. A friend? A lover? A victim? He settles, clears the sand, and writes a single word.  _ Lonely. _

Lisa wrinkles her nose, but this time, it’s sadder, “Because of…?”

Len seems to understand, “Do you know how to write? On paper.”

Barry pinches his fingers, hoping he communicates a little bit. He knows how to write, because others have studied it, but he’s never seen paper (at least not on dry land). 

Len takes his hand, softly, and Barry can’t help but stare at him in wonder, “Would you like me to come back? To teach you to write, so you can communicate better?”

Barry is sure he’s started crying, and his throat squeaks, a noise that seems to soften Lisa’s permanent scowl. He nods, and places his other hand on top of Len’s.

Len smiles, very small and soft, “Here’s good? I’ve got to go, but I can be here again tomorrow morning.”

“Lenny-”

Barry clasps his hand tightly, smile growing impossibly bigger, his cheeks aching. 

“Neat,” Len pulls his hand gently back from Barry, “Nice meeting you, Barry.” 

Barry doesn’t open his gills, or even move an inch as he watches two figures retreat across the beach. He hears Lisa hissing angrily at Len, how reckless he is, how dangerous Barry is, could be tricking you and. Oh. Oh shit. 

Iris is gonna lose her mind when she finds out Barry met a human.

**Author's Note:**

> after a lot of deliberation my heart wasn't in this and I'd rather give yall my best work than a terrible but longer fic. I like leaving endings up to the reader.


End file.
